KCSD alters 2013-14 calendar for Yom Kippur

Jewish students in the Kennett Consolidated School District will not have to choose between their faith and their education starting next year.

Last Monday night, the KCSD board of school directors voted 9-0 to alter the 2013-14 school year calendar by making Friday, Sept. 13 a day off for the district.

That date marks the annual Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement – a solemn holiday that is often associated with daylong fasting and lengthy religious services.

Together with the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, the two form the High Holy Days of the Jewish faith each year.

Advertisement

The change comes after district Superintendent Barry Tomasetti was approached by numerous parents of Jewish students, telling him that they often had to decide between instructional time and practicing their faith.

Several of those parents were on hand Monday night to discuss the issue with the board,

Beverly Geller said that her daughter, now a sophomore at Kennett High School, has found it increasingly challenging to follow up with tests and in-class assignments after missing time for religious services.

“Even when I do send in a note with an explanation in advance of the holiday,” she said.

Geller distributed a list of area school districts that already grant their students days off for either holiday, with Avon Grove, Downingtown, and Phoenixville considering it a teacher in-service day.

We do have five members of our staff that (take off for that date,” Tomasetti said. “Developing these is like snow days – it’s a lot of opinions. But once we make it work, it will work fine.”

In-service days, however, do not allow for Jewish teachers to take the day off, since in-service days are considered professional development time.

In anticipation of a decision on Monday night, Tomasetti advanced two versions of the calendar for board review – one with time off for the two holidays and one that he referred to as a “more traditional” Kennett calendar.

Tomasetti said that usually, the calendar is approached with instructional strength at the forefront, and with an eye to PSSA testing clusters in the spring.

Other considerations include voting and polling days, staff development and inclement weather days and the necessity to have graduation on a Friday each year.

Tomasetti said that he did not leave the Jewish holidays off of the initial version of next year’s calendar out of disrespect.

“It was just for the continuity of the calendar,” he said. “But we’ll make anything work, and our staff will make anything work.”

Board member Mike Finnegan requested that regardless of whether or not students have off for those days, the district calendar should note the dates so that teachers can develop their lesson plans accordingly.